I was quite the busy bee today, cranking out freelance projects like a mad woman (even shutting off Facebook to stay on track 8O ) running in and out of the house between snow flakes (and -16 degree temps) to run errands,

declaring my desire to cook on the Today Show (I want to start a Facebook campaign like Betty White did to get on SNL or something!) on Twitter,

and whipping up a smoothie for brunch that was so good I decided to call it a shake (I feel like shakes are much more risqué and luxurious than smoothies…) A Strawberry Banana Chocolate Shake!

You know it. In the mix:

8 organic frozen strawberries

1 frozen sliced banana

~1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond breeze

1 scoop unsweetened whey protein powder

~1 Tablespoon milk chocolate chips

I was recently reading up on the best produce to buy organic, and strawberries made it near the top of the list because of their thin skins, which allow pesticides & fertilizers to be absorbed into the berry. A whole bag of frozen strawbs was under $2 at TJ’s. They smelled so sweet!

BiPro sent me a giant tub of this sugar-free, unflavored whey protein powder to review and I’ve got to say, I love the ingredient list and nutritionals.

Plus it has no weird smell or chalky taste. Perfect for giving decadent shakes staying power without messing with flavah. :)

Next I added a couple of big glugs of unsweetened vanilla almond breeze and blended everything up until it was silky smooth.

Finally, I pulled out the big guns…milk chocolate chips. Muwahaha!

The funny thing is, is that I hate cold, hard-chocolate such as M&M’s or chocolate chips in ice cream, but the thought of putting a scoop of chocolate chips in this strawberry-laced shake got me really excited.

I mean, really excited – I couldn’t wait to take my first sip!

It did NOT disappoint!

The chocolate chips (which, by the way, sound like gravel in the blender – don’t freak out, it’s fine) turned into chocolate shavings and a lot of them kind of melted into the shake. It was fantastic. A cross between breakfast and dessert, for sure, but insanely scrumptious. Big spoon worthy, even. ;)

Insert buzzing Ben’s hair at lunchtime here (long story) and whipping up a batch of the #1 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe in the Entire World (I told you – takes 3 days to make – expose coming Sunday!) and before I knew it, it was dinner time! An Edamame Stir Fry was just the ticket. :)

This turned out to be one of the BEST stir fries I’ve ever made. I credit the unique combo of ingredients that worked together in perfect harmony, including edamame, extra firm tofu, asparagus, red onion and egg + sesame oil. (I didn’t end up using the green onions pictured here.)

Combine ingredients in a bowl or jar then microwave for 20 seconds. Whisk or shake to combine.

Gosh it is so good! Oh, I also credit the peanut oil I used to stir fry all the ingredients in. It gave everything a distinct, roasted flavor. I love it! I can’t decide if I love it more than sesame oil though. To be continued…

At any rate, I fired up my electric wok to 375 degrees and got to work stir frying each ingredient in about 1 teaspoon of peanut oil, in batches.

Asparagus,

Red Onion,

Extra Firm Tofu,

and shelled edamame!

When everything was cooked, it all went back into the wok and I created a well in the center for the egg.

Do not forget to add a couple shakes of sesame oil to your egg before you whisk and add it into the wok – makes ALL The difference taste-wise!

Let that baby scramble,

toss,

then add the sauce and let it bubble until thickened – about a minute or so.

The combo of those sauce ingredients is mouthwatering! It looks like a lot of ingredients, but they’re ALL pantry staples, no? The shelled edamame was key, too. They have such a great texture – I just love ‘em! So much that I had to go back for seconds. :)

Tonight I am living on the edge – turning the thermostat up to 68, pouring a glass of cab and popping in The Social Network.

I audibly gasped when it was the first movie I saw pop up on Redbox this afternoon at the grocery store. I assumed it would be snatched up by the time I got there!

I can’t remember the last time I was this jazzed to see a movie. I can’t wait!Have a great night! :D

~~~~~

Do you try and maintain healthy eating habits on the weekends?

It’s really hard for me to continue eating healthfully on Saturday, especially. It’s as if my brain thinks calories don’t count on the weekends, or something. I’ve made it a goal of mine to be more mindful of that!

My name's Kristin and I'm an Iowa Girl! I eat as well as my sweet tooth allows, run as often as possible despite the crazy Iowa weather, and am usually dreaming about the next place I want to travel to! Read more...